Waste sector sickness is double UK average, research shows

Employees in the waste and recycling industry take nearly twice as many days off due to sickness in comparison to staff in other sectors, it has been found.

This news may prompt recycling firms to introduce warning signs across their sites, as each worker in the sector takes 12.3 days off each year as a result of sickness, according to data collected by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), which has been reported by LetsRecycle.com.

Steven Naylor, senior scientist at HSL, said: "Rates of absences are traditionally higher in the public sector compared to the private sector. Only 20 per cent of the absences that workers take are due to work related problems."

His comments come after the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) stated that accident rates can be reduced by a third if firms invest in health and safety measures.

The group underlined that there are also clear economic benefits provided with health and safety policies.